The Welsh word “corgi” means “dwarf dog,” which sounds rare, but this vertically challenged breed was everywhere below view at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Last Saturday’s Corgi Con was the largest corgi event on the West Coast, according to its organizers. There were a range of competitions including a corgi race, corgi ninja warrior and corgi costume contests. Food for humans as well as a corgi market were also provided.

“We are thrilled to bring the Corgi Con energy to the Alameda County Fairground,” said Cynthia Lee, the event’s founder. “It’s a day where Corgis and their owners can bond, and everyone can enjoy the adorable antics of these beloved dogs.” 

Fans of the herder breed, or just want to be herded, joined the fun-filled event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4501 Pleasanton Avenue in Pleasanton.

Ruth Dusseault is an investigative reporter and multimedia journalist focused on environment and energy. Her position is supported by the California local news fellowship, a statewide initiative spearheaded by UC Berkeley aimed at supporting local news platforms. While a student at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism (c’23), Ruth developed stories about the social and environmental circumstances of contaminated watersheds around the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. Her thesis explored rights of nature laws in small rural communities. She is a former assistant professor and artist in residence at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture, and uses photography, film and digital storytelling to report on the engineered systems that undergird modern life.